Tag: patterns

We all remember the interior design craze known as “shabby chic” that started in the 1990s as a bit of a backlash against the tacky geometric style of the era.

A beauteous Brit named Rachel Ashwell coined the term, branding her own designs with it and courting the most ultra-famous celebrities in existence, and it’s been stuck in our collective vernacular ever since. Read more…

When it comes to home decor, flowers, much like the color pink, have a polarizing effect on people; it’s either love or hate but rarely anything in-between. Perhaps, though, both have gotten a bad rap simply by virtue (or lack thereof) of the fact that we’ve seen the same thing over and over again to the point of becoming genuinely sick from boredom.

Today, though, we’re sticking up for the botanical world and offering some fresh — pun intended — angles on the subject. From a big, bold line art rug to a soft yet geometric paper lantern, with a bold pink and black pattern and a stark exercise in fine French contrast thrown in just for fun, we present four new takes on the matter.

Love it or hate it — that’s, of course, your prerogative. But in such an unforgiving world filled with so many harsh angles, we think a flower petal or two is a refreshing reminder of the simpler — and usually finer — things in life.Read more…

The chevron, illustrated with an upturned V when singular and a zigzag when joined with its counterparts in a broader pattern, dates back as far as 1800 B.C., when it was emblazoned on pottery and rock carvings since found in the ancient Greek palace of Knossos. These days, it’s used globally as a cornerstone of many countries’ and organizations’ insignia, from the U.S. Air Force to NATO to countless flags the world over.

In home decor, the chevron is typically found linked with itself, forming a sharply undulating wave across a wall, curtain, floor or pillow, and there’s just something refreshing about it. It feels crisp, bold and vaguely nautical, usually appearing in black, navy, green or yellow across a white background. For example, Elisabeth Michael makes perfect use of line weight and contrast in her curtains, shown above, making an elegant but accessible statement on heavy fabric.